----- Original Message -----
From: Rich Clark <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2000 6:04 AM
Subject: Re: [expert] List Bitching
> Maybe what the list needs is a FAQ page posted somewhere. Someone
> subscribes to the list, they get the nice new welcome note from the list
> manager that gives them pointers about how to post, what to post and where
> to look for answers *before* they post the same question that's been asked
> and answered countless times before. Everyone else has a FAQ, why don't
> we?
>
This has been suggested before, a volunteer actually wrote a doc about it
and, as it has happened so many times, the effort was officially ignored.
Given my irregular correspondence with Mandrake about some of these issues,
they seem to misunderstand what the users are saying and apply inappropriate
remedies. Still, they have made significant improvements in documentation
and support.
As long as I am writing, let me state that the purposes of this mail list
could better be served in a discussion forum venue. That would provide an
easier way to follow threads and be easier to moderate. Many companies
sponsor their own discussion forums and servers, why not Mandrake?
And why has Mandrake not done anything more significant on the docs side? I
gather from this list and the cooker list that Mandrake collectively has a
predisposition to add the latest gadgets and features, often embracing beta
code, at the expense of documentation in order to rapidly differentiate
itself from RedHat (there's some Mandrake corporate angst about that). A
number of bugs or issued remain unresolved while new packages are added at a
frenetic pace. On the other hand, I have seen bug fixes be applied within
minutes of a post to this list or to the cooker list; it's just a matter of
priorities. Mandrake sets the priorities.
My suggestion is for the Mandrake users to reclaim their Linux birthright
and solve the problems themselves. We can do this by supporting Tom at
MandrakeUser.Org. This support can be accomplished by 1) identifying those
annoying bugs and suggesting solutions (and creating patches if possible)
and 2) writing HOWTOs and documentation. In other words, we should become
part of the solution.
Hoyt
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